A little over a year ago, I posted a call for interest to see if anybody was interested in doing a group read of Gravity’s Rainbow. There was a fair amount of interest, but life got pretty crazy for me shortly thereafter, and I called off the group read. I’ve been doing my own quiet reading and writing ever since but am suddenly taken once again with the urge to read the book. I’ve started the thing a half a dozen times or so and finally made my way through the whole thing in fits and starts and with varying degrees of comprehension (tending toward “limited”) a few years ago. So for me, this would be a revisit of the book.
I’ve got in mind a nice slow pace of 80 – 90 pages per week spanning about 11 weeks. As noted above, my prior reading was pretty slipshod, and I’m not a very informed reader of the work. I’ll be following along in a reader’s guide as I go, but I’d still be really pleased if someone with real knowledge of the book were to join me in blogging the thing. If you are such a person, or know such a person, please speak up (infinitezombies at gmail if you’re shy). Else you’ll be stuck with me and any other amateurs who sign up to blog along with me. We’ve usually had three to five bloggers total, so if you’d like to play, speak up about that too.
Barring crazy life interference in the mean time, figure on having the first twelve sections of Gravity’s Rainbow under your belt by February 27. I’ll try to post a few things in advance to get us started.
Infinite Zombies 
Ooooh. Tempting. Really crummy time for me to say yes, but I’m tempted anyway.
Saw your tweet and hope you can join (but understand if you can’t).
I’m tempted too. It would be my second attempt. Clear triumph of optimism over experience. Would you clarify the timing? Would it be the first eighty/ninety pages for Feb 27th? I think I could do that…
Yep, I’m thinking the first post on the first swath of 80 or 90 pages would land on the week beginning on Monday the 27th (probably on the Monday itself).
I can clear the decks by then. Count me in!
I’m in. I’ve read the book three or four times, but not in 15 years or so.
Excellent! It’ll be good to have a veteran of the book on board.
I think I might give it a shot. I’ve made four attempts on my own and have only made it a third of the way into the book. Having some reading buddies might help!
Don’t suppose I could loop you into blogging your read here?
I’m in – thank you!
Thanks for starting this up again! I’m definitely in…
Count me in, as well. Looking forward to it!
Hey, Daryl! Good to see you back on for a big book!
I’ll definitely be reading along and commenting. Given my track record of…never posting all the way to the end of one of these things, I won’t commit myself to your front page—but maybe this can be the kick in the pants I need to blow the dust off my own place.
Thanks for doing this! I’m excited.
Will be glad to have you aboard again, Jeff. (And if you should decide you want to write the occasional post, you should still have access and should feel free to post.)
I’ll give it a try too.
I’m in — have read it twice since my mid-20s and it’s a completely different book each time I read it (age, perspective, interpretation over time?). Huge Pynchon fan. Looking forward to it!
I’m in. I’ve read a few of Pynchon’s books (and really liked them), but I have never got very far with Gravity’s Rainbow – it’s proved too tough! So a nice slow read with a few helping hands sounds just what I need. Catch you again soon. Jim